Meat-smoking apparatus.



PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905.

A. M. MILLER.

MEAT SMOKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1905.

INVENTOI? flayas? @5222 WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFIGE.

MEAT-SMOKING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed June 16, 1905. Serial No. 265,505-

To all 1072,0777, it In/my concern:

Be it known that 1, AUGUST M. MILLER, residing at Chanute, in the county of Neosho and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Meat-Smoking Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for curing and smoking meats; and it primarily has for its object to provide an apparatus of this character, of a very simple and economical construction, which will readily and effectively serve its intended purposes.

Generieally my invention comprises ameatreceiving chamber, a smoke-generator, means for forcing the smoke from the smoke-generator into the meat-receiving chamber, means for permitting the escape of air from the meat-receiving chamber as smoke is admitted thereto, means for driving out the smoke from the meat-receiving chamber at times, and means for washing the smoke as it enters the meat-receiving chamber.

In its more detailed nature my invention comprises certain novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first described in detail and then specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which 7 Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a meathouse with my invention applied. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the pump mechanism. Fig. 3 is adetail section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures, 1 designates a chamber or room within the meathouse, having a plurality of rods 1, adapted to receive the meat, and the said chamber 1 is closed by an air-tight door 3 and is provided with an aperture 4 near its bottom, which is adapted to be hermetically closed by the gate or door 5, as shown in Fig. 1.

6 designates a smoke-outlet in the roof of the chamber 1, over which outlet a hood 7 is secured. Arranged within the hood 7 is a funnel S, which is secured to the wall of the chamber 1 and which is normally closed by a valve or cover 9, mounted on the end of a lever 10, which is pivotally secured to the hood 8 at 10 and which valve or cover 9 is normally held to its seated or closed position by the coil-spring 11, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

12 designates a pull rope or chain secured to the valve-lever, by means of which the same is operated, and the said rope 12 may be secured to a cleat 13 on the wall of the chamber 1, if desired, to hold the valve open at times.

14 designates an escape-pipe communicating with the chamber 1 at its bottom and provided with a valve 15. The other end of the pipe 14 connects with the hood 7.

A smoke-pipe 16 connects with the hood 7 and to the chamber 17 at the outside of the meat-house.

18 designates a smoke-generator, which includes a grate 19 for ashes to fall through into the ash-box 20, the generator having a door 21 to admit the fuel and a smoke-offtake pipe 22, which communicates with the smoke-pipe 16 and which is provided with a damper 23, as shown.

24 designates a pump, which comprises the casing 24*, in which the piston 25 is reciprocally movable. The pump 24 has a pair of valve mechanisms 26 and 27 the valve mechanism 26 being an inlet-valve and the valve mechanism 27 being an outlet-valve, and the said pump 24 has its inlet-valve portion connected with the ash-box of the generator 18 to draw the smoke therefrom into the pump, while the outlet-valve of the pump 24 communicates through a pipe 28 to a pipe 29, which enters the chamber 1 and projects down into a water-tank 29, which has an enlarged aperture in the top to permit passage of the said pipe and to allow the smoke to pass out through the said aperture, it being understood that the water-tank is filled with water to a point above the outlet end of the pipe 28.

The casing-wall of the chamber 1 projects inwardly, as at 1, to form a bead surrounding the door 3, which beading is provided with a rubber gasket l to make an air-tight joint between the door and the casing-wall.

Each valve mechanism of the pump consists of a round disk having passages therethrough which are normally spring-pressed against the inlet-aperture of the valve to close the same and which when the pump is in operation opens to admit the smoke into the pump through one valve and for passing out of the pump through the other valve.

So far as described the manner in which my invention operates will be best explained as follows: [11 starting the apparatus the meat is placed within the chamber 1 and the door 3 tightly closed, as also the air-opening in the bottom of the chamber. The smokegenerator is then filled with suitable material, such as corncobs and the like, which is lighted to produce smoke. The water-tank within the chamber 1 is filled with water and the pump started, thus forcing the smoke from the smoke-generator through the water in the water-tank into the interior of the chamber 1, the valve 15 in the vent-pipe 1 1 being opened to allow the air within the chamber 1 passing out, and as soon as the chamber 1 has become tilled with smoke the valve 15 in the pipe 14 is closed and the operation of the pump discontinued. As soon as the meat has become thoroughly smoked the valve 9 in the hood 7 is opened, as is also the air-hole in the bottom of the chamber 1, thus allowing air to enter the chamber at the bottom and force the smoke out through the hood 7 and the smoke-pipe and chimney to the outside of the house.

While I have shown a hand-operated pump, it should be well understood that a mechanically-operating pump can be readily used in place thereof, and I do not limit myself to the use of a hand-operated pump in connection with my improved meat apparatus.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is believed the complete construction, operation, and many advantages of my invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains, and lv desire to say that the meat smoked by the use of my improved apparatus is found to be considerably more clean than is possible by the use of other apparatus now known to the trade, and therefore the meat is better preserved and more wholesome than otherwise. Again, my appathe smoke is thoroughly cleaned before it enters the chamber 1. By putting ice into the water-tank the smoke is sutiiciently cooled to leave the meat at a low tcmperatu re,and therefore not cause it to lose weight.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus of the character stated, a housing forming a meat-receiving chamber. means within said housing for suspending the meat, an air-tight door for said housing, said housing having an air-inlet "aperture at the bottom, means for closing said air-inlet aperture, said housing having a smoke-outlet, a hood over said smoke-outlet, a funnel-shaped member secured to said housing and projecting through said smoke-outlet into the hood, a valve for closing said funnel-shaped member, said valve having a stem projected through said hood, means for normally holding said valve closed, a vent-pipe communicating with said housing through the bottom thereof, and connected with said hood, a control-valve in said ven t-pipo, and means for admitting smoke into said housing, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an apparatus of the characterdcscribed, a housing forming a meat-receiving chamber, means within said housing for suspending the meat, an air-tight door for said housing having an air-inlet aperture at the bottom, means for closing said air-inlet aperture, said housing having a smoke-outlet, a hood over said smoke-outlet, a funnel-shaped member secured to the said housing and projecting through said smoke-outlet, a valve for closing said funnel-shaped member, said valve having a stem projected through said hood, means for normally holding said valve closed, a vent-pipe communicating with said housing through the bottom thereof, and connected with said hood, a control-valve in said vent-pipe, a smokegenerator without the housing, a washer within the housing, pipe connections between said smoke-generator and said washer, said washer adapted to contain water and said pipe connection adapted to discharge below the surface of the water, and means in said pipe connection for forcing the smoke from the smokegenerator through the water in the washer into the meat-receiving chamber and a smoke-pipe con'imunicating with the housing-hood and with the smoke-generator, and a chimney into which said smokc-pipe discharges, substantially as shown and described.

3. In an apparatus of the character stated, a housing forming a meat-receiving chamber, means within said housing for receiving the meat, an air-tight door for said housing, an air-inlet aperture near the bottom of said housing, means for closing said air-inlet aperture, a smoke-outlet at the top of said housing,

, a tunnel-shaped member projected through ratus leaves no ashes or dirt on the meat, as 1 said smoke-outlet toward the outside of the housing. and secured to the housing-top, a hood secured to the housing over said tunnelshaped member, a valve adapted to close over said funnel-shaped member and having a stem projected through said hood and pivotally mounted thereon, a spring connected with i said valve-stem and said hood, tor normally holding said valve closed against said tunnelshaped member, a pull-cord connected with said valve-stem for o iiening the valve, a cleat on the housing-wall to which said pull-cord can be secured to hold the valve open, an escape-pipe communicating with said housing through the bottom thereof and connected with said hood at the top of the housing, a control-valve in said escape-pipe, a smokepipe connected with said hood, a chimney into which said smoke-pipe discharges, a smoke washing and cooling device within the housing, comprising a water and ice receiving receptacle, a pipe passing down into said receptacle and discharging below the water-level IIO smoke-washing-apparatus pipe, a one-Way valve in said last-named pipe connection whereby the smoke may be forced from the pump into the smoke-Washing apparatus, said smoke-Washing apparatus having an aperture to permit the smoke to escape therefrom into the meat-receiving chamber,all being arranged substantially as shownand described.

AUGUST M. MILLER. Witnesses:

ANDREW MEYER, Sr., W. F. CLARK. 

